Removable strainer for radiator circulating systems



Sept. 4, 1945. c. WETHERELL 2,384,057

REMOVABLE STRAINER FOR RADIATOR CIRCULATING SYSTEMS Filed Nov. 1, 1944 INVENTOR. L. C. WEJHERELL 3 .ATT 01PM? Patented Sept. 4, 1945 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE REMOVABLE STRAINER FOR RADIATOR CIRCULATING SYSTEMS Luther C. Wetherell, Hot Springs, Ark.

Application November 1, 1944, Serial No. 561,382

1 Claim.

This invention relates to strainers, and aims to provide a useful and practical radiator strainer which may be easily installed or removed and which is at the same time adjustable in diameter to accommodate the size of the tube or hose, whereby the circulating water for cooling the motor of an automotive vehicle is strained prior to entering the radiator. Thus the damage resulting from clogging of the circulating water system is eliminated, and the strainer can readily be removed for cleaning as often as desired, generally once every six months.

The strainer may be installed in any desired position in the water system, such as, for instance, in the radiator, in the hose leading from the engine to the radiator intake, in the engine outlet, etc. It may also be installed under the radiator filling cap in order to strain out sediment or trash contained in the fllllng water.

The above and other objects will become apparent in the following description, wherein characters of reference refer to like-numbered parts in the accompanying drawing. It is to be noted that the drawing is intended to serve the purpose of illustration only, and it is neither desired nor intended to limit the invention necessarily to the specific details of construction shown excepting insofar as they may deemed essential to the invention.

Referring briefly to the drawing,

Fig. l is a persective view of the adjustable strainer.

Fig. 2 is a central longitudinal sectional view through a fragment of a hose or pipe union having the strainer mounted between the members of the union. the strainer being shown in section on the line II of Fig. i.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatical side elevational view of an automobile engine, partly in section and partly broken away, illustrating one manner in which the strainer may be incorporated in the water cooling system thereof.

Referring in detail to the drawing, the numeral ill indicates a split ring the upper portion ll of which has an extension I! reaching approximately to the edge l3 of the split vertically down the upper portion of the ring. The lower portion ll of the ring l likewise has av complementary extension ii of the same length as the extension I 2 and reaching approximatel to the edge It of the split vertically up the lower portion of the ring. It is apparent that the ring it is readily expansible or contractible so as to vary its diameter. Moreover, it is made of resilient material which normally urges the extensions l2 and I5 away from their respective limit stop walls II and It, so that the normal tendto maintain a relatively large extension II, has an overhanging flange l1 ex-' temally thereon. A wire mesh screen or the like it is formed into the general shape of a cone, and the upper open edge thereof is secured to the lower edge of the ring it. The screen I! is split longitudinally and one edge of the split overlaps the other so that the upper diameter of the cone may be readily varied by the two mutually overlapping edges of the screen slidin upon each other in an obvious manner. Within the range of variability of the diameter of the ring III the two edges is and n will thus always overlap so that there will be no open space in the screen regardless of the diameter of the ring.

One example of removably mounting the strainer in a water circulating system is illustrated in Figs. 2 and 3. The motor outlet pipe 22 has joined thereto by a removable coupling 23 the hose 2| leading to the radiator 24. with this coupling removed so as to free the end of the hose from the pipe 22, the strainer is set into the opening in the pipe 22 and seated on the upper edge of the pipe as shown, with the flange l1 resting on the said upper edge of the pipe and the peripheral wall of the ring in contact with the pipe wall. The flexibility of the ring will cause it to expand into the seating position Just described. The hose is then attached to the pipe y the union 23. The circulating water flowing into the motor from the radiator will thus obviously be strained and dirt which otherwise would get into the motor will be trapped in the strainer.

The example given of the installation of the strainer in the above paragraph is by way of illustration only, as the strainer may obviously be installed at any point in the system where desired and feasible, and if desired more than one strainer may be used. But no matter in, what section of the system it is installed, it is apparent that the ring It will expand to provide a snugfit and to cause a complete straining of the flow over the entire cross-sectional area of the pipe or tube.

Obviously, modifications in form and structure may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

I claim:

An expansible strainer comprising a resilient split ring having a conical screen secured thereto and depending therefrom, said screen having a longitudinal split and having the edges thereof at the split overlapping each other, said ring having an external flange extending from the upper edge thereof.

LUTHER 

